Respiratory pressure therapy device having dock configured to alternatively receive a water reservoir or an end cap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11464935-B2
Application number	US-202117509151-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2021
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A respiratory pressure therapy (RPT) device for pressurising breathable air to treat a respiratory disorder in a patient includes a pressure generator configured to pressurise breathable air, an RPT device inlet configured to receive breathable air from externally of the RPT device to be pressurised by the pressure generator, an RPT device outlet configured to be connected to an air circuit to direct breathable air pressurised by the pressure generator to the patient, a dock having a dock outlet and a dock inlet, and an external housing to enclose the pressure generator. The external housing forms an opening sized to alternatively receive an end cap or a water reservoir.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A respiratory pressure therapy (RPT) device for pressurising breathable air to treat a respiratory disorder in a patient, the RPT device comprising:
a pressure generator configured to pressurise breathable air;
a chassis supporting the pressure generator and the chassis comprising:
an RPT device inlet configured to receive breathable air from externally of the RPT device to be pressurised by the pressure generator;
an RPT device outlet configured to be connected to an air circuit to direct breathable air pressurised by the pressure generator to the patient;
a dock comprising a dock outlet and a dock inlet; and
at least one dock seal associated with at least one of the dock inlet and the dock outlet, and

an external housing supported on the chassis, the pressure generator being enclosed by the external housing, and the external housing forming an opening sized to interchangeably receive a water reservoir with a humidification function and an end cap without a humidification function such that the water reservoir and the end cap are alternatively insertable into and removable from the dock, the end cap having an end cap inlet and an end cap outlet, wherein the end cap inlet and the end cap outlet each having an aperture surrounded by a flat external surface,
wherein the at least one dock seal is configured to seal between the dock and 1) the water reservoir when the water reservoir is received in the dock and 2) the end cap when the end cap is received in the dock.

2. The RPT device of claim 1 , wherein the dock is shaped and dimensioned such that a portion of the water reservoir is positioned outside of the dock when the water reservoir is received in the dock.

3. The RPT device of claim 1 , further comprising the water reservoir, wherein the water reservoir comprises a water reservoir base, a water reservoir lid, and a resilient portion constructed from a resilient material and configured to seal between the water reservoir base and the water reservoir lid when the water reservoir lid is in a closed position on the water reservoir base.

4. The RPT device of claim 1 , further comprising the water reservoir, wherein the water reservoir includes an upper handle configured to be exposed when the water reservoir is received in the dock.

5. The RPT device of claim 4 , further comprising a recessed lower handle, wherein a lid of the water reservoir includes the upper handle and a base of the water reservoir includes the lower handle.

6. The RPT device of claim 1 , further comprising the water reservoir, wherein the water reservoir includes one of a protrusion and a recess and the dock includes the other one of the protrusion and the recess, the protrusion and the recess being configured to releasably engage one another when the water reservoir is received in the dock to secure the water reservoir in the dock.

7. The RPT device of claim 6 , wherein a compliant portion is configured to urge a lid of the water reservoir towards the dock to maintain engagement between the protrusion and the recess when the water reservoir is received in the dock.

8. The RPT device of claim 7 , wherein the compliant portion is configured to be compressed when the water reservoir lid is urged downwards to disengage the protrusion and the recess and allow removal of the water reservoir from the dock.

9. The RPT device of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element supported on the chassis and configured to generate and conduct heat to the water reservoir when the water reservoir is received in the dock.

10. The RPT device of claim 1 , wherein the RPT device outlet is configured to be connected to the air circuit such that the water reservoir is removable from the dock while the air circuit remains attached to the RPT device outlet.

11. The RPT device of claim 1 , further comprising the water reservoir, wherein the water reservoir is configured such that the water reservoir must be removed from the dock to be refilled.

12. The RPT device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one dock seal includes an inlet dock seal and an outlet dock seal, and wherein each of the inlet dock seal and the outlet dock seal is positioned on the dock at a corresponding one of the dock inlet and the dock outlet to seal against the 1) water reservoir when slidingly received in the dock and 2) the end cap when slidingly received in the dock.

13. The RPT device of claim 1 , further comprising the end cap, wherein the end cap is configured to be removably secured in the dock.

14. The RPT device of claim 13 , wherein the dock outlet is configured to direct breathable air pressurised by the pressure generator into the end cap via the end cap inlet when the end cap is received in the dock, and
wherein the dock inlet is configured to receive breathable air pressurised by the pressure generator from the end cap via the end cap outlet when the end cap is received in the dock.

15. The RPT device of claim 1 , further comprising the end cap, wherein the end cap includes an identification element to allow a controller to detect presence or absence of the end cap and to perform an operation in accordance with such detection.

16. The RPT device of claim 1 , further comprising the end cap, wherein the end cap includes one of a protrusion and a recess and the dock includes the other of the protrusion and the recess, the end cap including an end cap latch that is depressible to disengage the protrusion and the recess, this allowing the end cap to be removed from the dock.

17. A respiratory pressure therapy (RPT) device for pressurising breathable air to treat a respiratory disorder in a patient, the RPT device comprising:
a pressure generator configured to pressurise breathable air;
a chassis supporting the pressure generator and the chassis comprising:
an RPT device inlet configured to receive breathable air from externally of the RPT device to be pressurised by the pressure generator;
an RPT device outlet configured to be connected to an air circuit to direct breathable air pressurised by the pressure generator to the patient; and
a dock comprising a dock outlet and a dock inlet,

a water reservoir with a humidification function, wherein the water reservoir includes a water reservoir insertion end to receive the pressurized air and direct it to the RPT device outlet, and wherein the water reservoir includes a water reservoir inlet and a water reservoir outlet, wherein the water reservoir inlet and the water reservoir outlet each having an aperture, wherein the apertures of the water reservoir inlet and the water reservoir outlet are surrounded by a flat external surface
an external housing supported on the chassis, the pressure generator being enclosed by the external housing, and the external housing forming an opening sized to interchangeably receive the water reservoir and an end cap without a humidification function such that the water reservoir and the end cap are alternatively insertable into and removable from the dock.

18. The RPT device of claim 17 , wherein the dock outlet is configured to direct breathable air pressurised by the pressure generator into the water reservoir via the water reservoir inlet when the water reservoir is received in the dock, and
wherein the dock inlet is configured to receive humidified breathable air pressurised by the pressure generator from the water reservoir via the water reservoir outlet when the water reservoir is received in the dock.

19. A respiratory pressure therapy (RPT) device for pressurising breathable air to treat a r

Assignees

• ResMed Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Bath Andrew Roderick
• Bertinetti Mark
• Formica Justin John
• Harrington Matthew Rolf
• Nasr Saad
• Ormrod Joseph Samuel
• Romagnoli Jose Ignacio
• Row Nathan John
• Stanislas Luke Andrew
• Verma Hargopal

Classifications

• A61M2205/586

  Ergonomic details therefor, e.g. specific ergonomics for left or right-handed users · CPC title

• A61M2205/21

  insensitive to tilting or inclination, e.g. spill-over prevention · CPC title

• A61M2205/505

  Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches · CPC title

• A61M2205/3368

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61M16/1055

  bacterial · CPC title